What is Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)?
Minimal Residual Disease (MRD), also known as measurable residual disease, refers to the
small population of cancer cells that may remain in the body after treatment such as chemotherapy, radiation
therapy, or surgery. These remaining cancer cells are not detectable by conventional imaging methods such as
CT or MRI, but can lead to relapse.
MRD status is an important prognostic marker in various cancer types, particularly in hematologic malignancies
such as leukemias and lymphomas, but increasingly also in solid tumors. Detection of MRD is very helpful for
assessing therapy response, predicting relapses, and individualizing treatment.
MRD diagnostics using liquid biopsy analyzes circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood and enables non-invasive,
repeatable monitoring of disease progression. Compared to other methods, ctDNA-based MRD detection is much
gentler for patients and can be performed more frequently.
Note: Detailed information on clinical studies, sensitivity/specificity and scientific
evidence can be found on our page for doctors and in our
publications.